Allowing tax cuts for the middle class to expire would impact 90 percent of Utahns and leave a $2 billion hole in the state's economy, according to Utah's chief economist. And Juliette Tennert said that big number is a conservative estimate. It could actually be more than $2 billion.

“Going over the fiscal cliff will put our economy, jobs, people's paychecks and retirement at risk, but that is what the White House wants, according to Secretary Geithner, if they don't get their way.”

Sen. Orrin Hatch

SALT LAKE CITY — Allowing tax cuts for the middle class to expire would impact 90 percent of Utahns and leave a $2 billion hole in the state's economy, according to Utah's chief economist.

And Juliette Tennert said that big number is a conservative estimate. It could actually be more than $2 billion. Regardless, it would mean residents would have fewer dollars to spend on some of life's basics, pay the mortgage and car insurance or put into savings.

"The biggest concern here is the magnitude and quickness of the impacts," Tennert said. "If there were some phasing in over time, the potential effects on the economy would not be so great."

If Congress does nothing to stop the country from falling over the so-called fiscal cliff in the next three weeks, a number of middle-class tax breaks would expire Jan. 1.

The Obama administration issued a report this month showing what that would mean for the states. It projects that in Utah, income taxes will automatically go up for 99 percent of families making less than $250,000 a year. The reports also shows that:

• About 900,000 families will see their federal income taxes increase.

• A typical median-income family of four (earning $65,200) could see its income taxes rise by $2,200 as a result of losing the combination of the expanded child credit, marriage penalty relief, and the 10 percent bracket.

• Utah families will receive a smaller child tax credit, and 379,000 low- and moderate- income working families with children will lose access to the credit, costing them an average of $1,010 a year.

• About 112,000 middle-class families will no longer get help paying for college from the American Opportunity Tax Credit.

• Small businesses will be able to claim immediate tax deductions for only $25,000, rather than $250,000 of new investment.

Tennert said the state has been taking its own look at the potential impacts and they mirror what the Obama administration is saying.

"The numbers in the report are consistent with the analysis we've done," she said.

If every tax cut were to expire, which Tennert sees as an unlikely scenario, Utahns would have less money in their pockets, which, in turn, would hurt state revenues. Tennert estimated that figure at $500 million. But coupled with the state's expected $300 million in new growth, the net result would be as much as a $200 million loss, she said.

Gov. Gary Herbert said this week that would means cuts to state government programs.

Tennert said there is a lot of uncertainty about what is going to happen. National revenue forecaster with whom the state works anticipate some sort of resolution, even a temporary one, in their baseline projections.

"We still have to work through these numbers depending on what happens," she said.

Obama and Democrats in Congress want the tax cuts set to expire at the end of the year to be extended for taxpayers with income below $250,000 a year, but not for the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans.

In exchange, the president has said he is willing to consider significant spending cuts that include unspecified changes to entitlement programs such as Medicare, the government health insurance plan for seniors.

Republicans are holding out for an extension of all the tax cuts but have become increasingly divided over the past two weeks about whether they can prevail in the face of Obama's firm stance and Republican control of only the House of Representatives but not the U.S. Senate.

Popular Comments

Why is it stunning and irresponsible to tell the truth..President Obama has said
repeatedly,for well over a year,that he is not going to sign anything that
involves allowing the uber-wealthy to retain their lucrative tax rates..Contrary
to what many
More..

7:02 p.m. Dec. 6, 2012

Top comment

Truthseeker

SLO, CA

The Bush tax cuts would not have passed without an expiration date. The
deficits created by the tax cuts will keep adding to the debt. Obama
compromised when Republicans won in 2010 and extended all the tax cuts for
another 2 years. Time for
More..

7:53 p.m. Dec. 6, 2012

Top comment

Screwdriver

Casa Grande, AZ

White House wants, according to Secretary Geithner, if they don’t get
their way."

If the majority of the senate vote for something
they're supposed to get their way.

Dennis Romboy is a reporter for Deseret News where for the past 20 years he has covered a variety of beats including state and local government, human services and the 2002 Olympics. He spent six years as a special more ..